XXXIII Polish Antarctic Expedition
December 2008 – March 2009
Report # Flag 109
by
Maria Agata Olech PhD (FI 2001) –
Head of the Polar Research Department Department of the Jagiellonian University
Leader of the Botanical Project
Maria A. Olech
Study area:
Antarctica, King George Island
- Admiralty Bay region
• ASPA no 128
- King George Bay region
• Lions Rump (ASPA no 151)
• Turret Oasis
- Penguin Island
- Sherrat Bay region
• Three Sisters Oasis
Map of King George Island, and study area
Penguin Island, January 2009
Turret Point, January 2009
Main purpose of the Antarctic Studies
1. Inventory – making of Turret Oasis and Penguin Island natural resources
2. Preparation of Turret Oasis and Penguin Island vegetation maps.
3. Study of introduction alien organisms into Antarctica (Aliens in Antarctica project).
4. Continuation in studies on colonization and succession of new land areas (deglaciated)
Crustose lichen Caloplaca saxicola
Fruticose lichens Sphaerophorus globosus
and Usnea antarctica
1 and 2. Inventory of Turret Oasis and Penguin Island resources and vegetation maps
Penguin Island and Turret Oasis (King George Island, South Shetland Islands,
Antarctica), particularly interesting in terms of biology and geology, are subject to frequent
and uncontrolled visits of tourist ships. The tourists enter the areas occupied by colonies of
penguins and giant petrels (Macronectes giganteus); the birds are frigthened and often they
abandon their nests. The visitors cause considerable damage to the tundra (plant cover and in
particular lichens) which is exceptionally fragile and its recovery is very difficult ( the lichens
grow very slowly). We have prepared the survey of nature resources, and compiled vegatation
maps of this area in order to make an application to SCAR ( Scientific Committee on
Antarctic Research) to create a protected area. Such area would prevent the uncontrolled
landing of tourist ships. We have made the inventory of the bird colonies, birds nests and
Pinnipedia colonies (Mirounga leonina, Arctocephalus gazella). During our stay (we have
lived in tents on the beach by the sea), we were able to observe how the tourists were scaring
away the fulmars, and trampling down the Antarctic tern (Sterna vittata) nests. The data
obtained will allow us to prepare the survey of this region as a base for an application to
SCAR to create Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA) which will control and limit the
landing of tourist ships.
Elephant seal (Mirounga leonina)
Giant petrel (Macronectes giganteus)
Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephallus gazella)
Chinstrap penguins (Pygoscelis antarctica)
Penguin rookery (Pygoscelis adeliae)
Elephant seal colony
Aliens in Antarctica project is the first project allowing the evaluation of magnitude and
quality of alien species transferred to Antarctica. The aim of this project is to evaluate the role
of human population migrating to Antarctica every year as a vector introducing the alien
species into the Antarctic ecosystem ( seeds, spores, vegetative propagules, eggs, fragments of
thallus, whole organisms). International project Aliens in Antarctica widens the three key
problems of the world ecology:
1. Present state of natural environment
2. Changing of polar regions
3. Human influence on polar regions
The influence of alien species, in particular the invasive alien species, is presently considered
as one of the biggest danger to the biodiversity. One can observe increasingly more dynamical
climate changes in West Antarctica. These changes promote not only the introduction of alien
species but also establishing their existence in the Antarctic ecosystems. Such introduced
alien species pose a threat to the native species. Thus, the determination of the well
established invasive grass – Poa annua in the natural habitats close to the Polish Station is an
important discovery. Poa annua introduced in the vicinity of Arctowski Station became, at
first, well established in the anthropogenic habitats, where its population were increasing
every year. However, recently Poa annua was found in the natural communities of newly
deglaciated areas. This is the first example of such kind found in Antarctica, and it is
connected with the climate warming. The population of Poa annua introduced to King
George Islands unexpectedly revealed a high genetic variability ( genetic difference due to the
geographic origin).
Invasive grass Poa annua
Arctowski Station
Colonization and succession of new land areas
Advancing climate warming observed in West Antarctica, and particularly in the region of
Antarctic Peninsula is consistent with the global increase of the air temperature caused by the
increased emission of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. The growing anthropogenic
pressure could lead to the irreversible climate changes in this region. All such disturbations
have unfavourable influence on a very fragile ecosystem functioning in Antarctica.
Environmental changes are accompanied by dynamical responses by the flora of the poor
Antarctic tundra, which can be considered as a sensitive biological indicator of the climatic
changes presently taking place as well as in the past. The changes occurring contemporarily
demand the monitoring investigations, carried out during many years, concerning the
colonization and succession in the newly created ecosystems. I have carried out for over 20
years investigations on the forefields of rapidly retreating glaciers – concerning the
colonization and succession. These investigations allow to understand the dynamics of
changes connected with the climate warming and decreasing soil humidity in the region of
West Antarctica. Vanishing of certain species and the whole communities was observed due
to being overgrown by the grass Deschampsia antarctica.
Antarctic tundra dominated
by grass Deschampsia antarctica
and lichen Usnea antarctica
Lichen colonizers during
early stages of succession
I have collected numerous new specimens for the herbarium, increasing therefore the
collection of Antarctic lichens (this is one of the largest collection of Antarctic lichens in the
world). In the collection there are many species rare for Antarctica, many species new for
Antarctica, and 2 species new for science.
Lichen Ramalina terebrata
Presentation of expedition results:
-
Results will be presented at the International Conference (August 2009, Mądralin,
Poland)
-
In preparation is the exhibition – Antarctic Lichens in the museum of Jagiellonian
University Botanical Garden in Kraków, and Department of Antarctic Biology Polish
Academy of Sciences
-
In preparation – publications in the renowned journals, as well as in the popular
science journals
-
In preparation – the project of the protected area in Turret Oasis and Penguin Island to
be submitted to SCAR.
Weddell seal, Turret Point
Members of the Expedition
Leader of the Botanical Project on XXXIII Polish Antarctic Expedition
Maria Agata Olech, PhD, Professor, lichenologist, Director of Department of Polar Research
and Documentation, Institute of Botany, Jagiellonian University
Memmber of the Explorers Club – (FI 2001)
Address: Department of Polar Research and Documentation, Institute of Botany, Jagiellonian
University, Kopernika 27, 31-501 Kraków, Poland
e-mail: [email protected]
Katarzyna Chwedorzewska, PhD molecular biologist
Małgorzata Korczak PhD, ornithologists
Magdalena Pańczyk PhD, geologist